Her Legacy
by SweetChinMusic115
Summary: Theoretical one-shot. Chaka and Kopa, the lost sons of Nala. Or were they so lost as once thought? After marital difficulties with Simba, whose mental abilities are wasting, Nala arranges to protect her sons, as any mother would do for her children. Leads up to "Warriors of the Dawn." Simba's OOC, I only own my OC's.
1. Chapter 1

Nala woke with unease, her very pregnant belly showing. Simba lied next to her, his eyebrows furrowed. Nala smiled sadly at her mate, her sea-green eyes knowing what was wrong with him.

Ever since the loss of Iwapo, their firstborn, Simba hadn't been all there. Most of the time, he was all there. Other times, his temper took over and he acted a lot like his father.

_And later, his uncle, and _my _father, _Nala thought, _but Father never asked to be the way he was. Mufasa did kill my brother, after all. Mom said that sent Father over the edge. _

And like Sarafina, Nala was willing to stay by her mate until it was over. She was willing to try to help him, to get him better. To bond with his children, his pride. Which brought a good question to Nala's mind: was the cub she carried Simba's?

After a quarrel with Simba, Nala had run away to find help for the pride. She had run on Sarabi's order. It was to find another male, a male that could help Simba lead the pride. And that, Nala had found. She had found her old childhood friend, Chumvi.

She pleaded Chumvi's help, and the nephew of Sarabi happily accepted. She was ecstatic, and in a moment, a moment that seemed to mean so much, she licked Chumvi's cheek. Chumvi looked at his friend questioningly, and Nala blushed. Unlike with Simba, Nala was bashful with Chumvi. Chumvi then smiled, and nuzzled Nala. A nuzzle lead to a lick, a lick lead to a playful game of tag, then…

The next thing Nala knew, she and Chumvi were waking the next day. She was sketchy on the night before, but knew one thing: she was happy next to Chumvi. It reminded her of when she and Simba first fell in love. What had happened to those carefree days? Was it Iwapo's death that harmed Simba so deeply? Was it cubhood trauma from seeing his father die?

However, Chumvi would return to the Pridelands after a long time gone to have one thing happen. Simba thought Chumvi was challenging him for the throne. It scared Nala, and as much as the Queen wanted to protect her old friend, Chumvi's orange eyes seemed to tell Nala to stay back.

Chumvi was violently ripped to pieces as Zira, Nala's adoptive aunt, held her in a tight embrace to comfort the Queen. That night, Simba showed such remorse over Chumvi's death he begged Nala for forgiveness. Nala almost didn't forgive her mate, and she wanted to run away. But Simba started crying into Nala's neck, begging as he sobbed. Nala felt the same as Sarafina had felt about Scar. Simba was damaged, as was Scar. Nala forgave Simba, and silently vowed to help her mate as Sarafina had attempted with Scar.

As Nala stood up, she shook her tawny-pink fur. Simba was getting better, but how better was he? Would he buy that Nala had actually blacked out if the cub that came from her looked like Chumvi?

"You look troubled, my dear."

Nala looked up, seeing a transparent Scar, her father, standing before her. Nala only nodded, despite her confusion at seeing her father. Scar smiled.

"Follow me, please, Nala." Scar said. Nala nodded again, following her father's spirit.

As ghostly father and living daughter made it to the waterhole, the dawn broke. Scar looked at the sun.

"I always loved this time of day. What troubles you, child?" Scar asked his daughter.

"My cub. I don't know… am I having Simba or Chumvi's child? If the cub is Chumvi's, will Simba understand?" Nala asked her father. Scar looked directly at his child, emerald eyes bright.

"I can't answer that, Nala. What I can answer is that your child will be fine, and you will know what to do. You're my daughter, you'll know how to protect your children." The deceased King said. Nala shut her eyes.

"Father…" She said softly. She felt a light warm breeze over her fur.

"Trust me, Nala…" Nala opened her eyes to see her father had gone. She sighed and hung her head. The Queen shook her head and drank deeply from the waterhole. When she heard footsteps approaching her, she turned in a full circle, seeing Zira approaching her. Inwardly relieved, Nala smiled at Zira, and Zira smiled back.

"Good morning, Nala." Zira said after she drank from the waterhole.

"Good morning, Zira," Nala glanced around, "Where's Nuka?"

"Tunuka is sleeping soundly. He's had it rough with the cubs." Zira said.

"I understand that. I did too." Nala said. Zira smiled then eyed Nala curiously.

"How are you doing today, really? You seem… upset." Zira said.

"I am. Zira, swear you won't say a word." Nala said. The tan-beige lioness nodded.

"Of course." Zira said.

"I'm worried my cub may not be Simba's too. It may be Chumvi's." Nala said.

"I see. And I understand. That's how I felt when Tunuka was born. His coloring was so close to your father's, and though he wasn't your father's son, I worried. I still do." Zira said.

"I don't know what to do. Simba's been better. What if the cub's father is Chumvi? Or worse, what if the cub is the _male _child of Chumvi? It may set Simba over the edge…" Zira's gentle red gaze made Nala quiet.

"Nala, it'll be okay. I'll be there with you during the birth. Kula is traveling down here to be here with you, too. If the cub is Chumvi's, I'm sure Kula will take it for its protection. If not, I still have connections with my old pride, and I'm sure one of my old friends will take the cub. Chumvi's father was from that pride, you know." Zira said.

Nala's eyes filled with tears and she leaned on Zira as she sobbed, "Thank you so much Zira. You've done so much for me since my mother passed on."

Zira smiled and held Nala close as she said, "Sarafina told me she wanted me to look out for you. I promised her I would," she paused and looked at Nala, "and it's been like I've had a daughter."

Nala sobbed a bit more on Zira's shoulder as the older lioness calmed Nala's tears. A clearing of the throat made both lionesses look up. Nalo stood before Zira and Nala, a look of hate on her face.

"Good morning, Nalo." Zira said. Nala turned her head from her sister, ridding herself of her tears quickly.

"Morning, Zira. Nala." Nalo said. Nala turned back to her sister and glared into Nalo's blue eyes.

"Nalo." Nala said.

"When are you due?" Nalo asked.

"Why?" Nala asked, her voice hesitant.

"Just wondering. Why can't I have a relationship with my sister?" Nalo asked.

"Since you decided to write her off after your father decided on his heir." Zira said harshly, coming to Nala's aid. Nalo scoffed.

"I heard about that cub possibly not being Simba's. I'd be careful, Na-la." Nalo said as she turned away. Nala growled.

"Bitch." She said under her breath. Zira nuzzled Nala.

"Breathe, let her be the cold lioness she is." Zira said calmly. Nala nodded.

**oOo**

"Push Nala!" Zira's encouragement made Nala do so. The Queen panted with the pains of labor. She had already borne one child, a boy colored like herself with emerald green eyes, and she was in the process of delivering another.

"C'mon, Nal'! You can do it!" Kula said. Nala nodded and gave one final push. From her womb slid a light brown boy cub. Nala cleaned the new cub, and her heart twinged.

"No…" Nala whispered. Zira looked from the tawny-pink boy to the light brown boy. She grimaced and looked at Kula. Kula nodded. All lionesses there knew. The light brown boy was Chumvi's son.

"Where will he go?" Nala asked softly.

"I'll take him to the Mountain Pride." Kula said softly. Zira's eyes filled with tears and she nuzzled her friend.

"I'm sorry, Nala. Well, not sorry it's Chumvi's son, but… that you have to get rid of him." Zira said.

"I am too. Thank you, Zira." Nala said softly. The new mother looked to her two boys. The tawny-pink boy had heart in his green eyes, and the light brown boy was colored like a dying bush. She smiled.

"Kopa and Chaka." Nala said to Kula.

"Kopa's the firstborn?" Zira asked. Nala nodded.

"Chaka's the second." Kula said.

After letting the cub eating his fill, and thankful that Simba was doing border patrol, Kula took Chaka's scruff into her mouth, and walked away from Nala, Zira, and Kopa as the tawny-pink Queen sobbed softly into her adoptive aunt's fur, her other son at her side.

As the caramel-colored lioness made it to the border between the Peaklands and the Pridelands to the northeast, she was relieved Simba wasn't anywhere near that border. The Peaklands Queen ducked into her lands, expecting to have to tell Malka, her mate, the truth about Chaka.

**oOo**

It wasn't long before Kopa was running, walking, talking, and playing with other cubs. Nala noticed Kopa felt everything. He was in tune with other's pain. He was especially close to Tunuka, who was often ridiculed by other cubs. The two boys played like they were brothers.

Sometimes, it made Nala feel saddened. Tunuka had no siblings, and Kopa _did _have a brother, but Chaka, well, Chaka was safe. Nala had to remember her third-born was safe. According to Zira, Chaka was loved. Well loved.

What Nala also noticed was that Simba was tough on Kopa at times, leading to tears often when it happened. Nala didn't like the behavior from Simba. She was seeing Simba backslide on all the progress he made.

But that didn't matter. Kopa and Nala had taken the day off, both of them, to bond. Kopa laid on his mother's back, snoozing, and Nala was looking at the Pridelands, noticing everything was green. No doubt, it would have been green even if her father had continued as King.

"Kopa, wake up." Simba demanded. Nala looked up, seeing Simba approaching them. Kopa didn't wake, and was completely content on staying on his mother's back. Nala glared at Simba with sea-green orbs.

"Simba! He needs a day off!" Nala growled softly, trying not to wake her son. Simba glared right back at Nala.

"He needs to get his ass in gear. If he's going to be King…" Simba grumbled.

"Who cares if he has a day off! Simba he's younger than you were when you started lessons!" Nala growled.

"He's acting soft." Simba said.

"Simba, who cares?! A kind King is better than a tyrant." Nala said.

"Is that a hint?" Simba roared. Kopa woke with a start, falling off Nala's back and onto the ground hard. He cried a bit, his left rear leg getting scraped. Nala gasped and held her son in a hug.

"Owww…." Kopa whimpered. Nala licked her son's head.

"Kopa, it's just a scrape." Simba said, getting impatient.

"Get out of here." Nala growled, glaring at Simba.

"No." Simba said.

"DO IT NOW!" Nala roared, unwilling to back down from Simba's wrath. Simba rolled his eyes.

"Very well then. We train harder tomorrow." The King said. Nala glared after Simba, then nuzzled her son.

"Hush now, darling. Hush now. It's okay. It's okay." Nala said to Kopa. Kopa sobbed into his mother's leg.

"I don't want to live here anymore, Mom." Kopa said softly. Nala gazed at her son. Could she bear to have both of her sons away from her?

_If it means their safety, yes_. Nala thought.

"I know, honey. I know. And I will get you out of here." Nala promised.

"Will you be with me, Mom?" Kopa asked. Nala shook her head.

"You'll be with Aunt Kula. I have to make sure that the pride will be okay." Nala said.

"Mom…" Kopa said.

"I'm sorry honey." Nala held Kopa close and sobbed. Kopa, too, sobbed.

As night fell, Nala ran for the northern border with Kopa at her side. She saw Malka doing final rounds and roared softy. Malka turned to Nala's roar, and saw mother and son running. Malka stopped them, looking at his old friend.

"Nala, what is it?" Malka asked. Nala had tears in her eyes, but she sighed.

"Simba's getting worse. He's getting hard on Kopa. I don't want him to suffer." Nala said softly. Malka made eye contact with Kopa. The Mountain King had come to think of Kopa as a nephew, and smiled at him.

"Of course. What if Simba looks for him?" Malka then turned to Nala.

"I'll make it seem like he's gone missing." Nala said. Kopa looked up at his mother.

"Mom!" He exclaimed. Nala brought her son in a hug.

"I'll be with you soon if it doesn't get better. I promise." Nala said to her son.

Kopa watched as his mother walked away, and then sobbed into Malka's leg. The Mountain King urges Kopa to move away from the border, because by day, Simba will be looking for him.

What Kopa didn't know was Nala's promise would never be kept.

**oOo**

When his mane was fully grown, Kopa made contemplations to return to the Pridelands, to confront his father and his aunt Nalo on why they killed his mother. It was well known that Nalo and Simba had plotted to take Nala down.

Kopa had discovered that Chaka, another cub Malka and Kula took in, was his brother. His twin half-brother. It both amazed Kopa and made him a little mad at his mother, but he couldn't stay angry with his mother. Especially since she had given her life for his sisters.

Kopa's emerald eyes faced the morning sun. It was time.

"The dead son's not going to be so dead after all." He said softly.

"Where are you going?" Chaka's voice trailed to Kopa's ears. The twin brothers looked at each other. Chaka's dark brown mane almost matched Kopa's mane, but Kopa's mane was slightly lighter colored than his twin's.

"The Pridelands." Kopa said. Chaka's orange eyes brightened.

"Care for me to join you?" He asked. Kopa nodded. As the brothers traveled, they both had the same thought.

_Nala's legacy is returning. _

**A/N: Now this is completely theoretical. Going by the same theme that we saw in **_Warriors of the Dawn_**, we see Simba's mental state is bad. But how did it start? With his and Nala's first child's death. So in **_Warriors of the Dawn_**, Simba's completely lost it because Nala made Kopa disappear, which explains why he isn't in **_Simba's Pride_**. **

**I had the idea of Nala and Simba's relationship being not all what it seemed when I watched the "lovers' quarrel" scene in the first movie. If Nala's so willing to fight with Simba then, why aren't there more arguments in the second movie? So Nalo was born from that, as were Kopa's disappearance and Chaka's conception was subsequent of that thought. **

**Also, "Chaka" was the name of Kiara's cut brother from early drafts of **_Simba's Pride _**scripts. As was "Naba." So I decided, why wouldn't Chaka appear? Maybe he's only Nala's son? So, there came the "Chaka is only Nala's, not Simba's." Not only that, some people think that Kopa is Ni's son, why shouldn't Chaka not be Simba's? **

**Then it also explains why Nala gave up in **_Warriors in the Dawn_**, because Nalo had something on Nala. Chaka. And a mother is always willing to protect her child if she's worth her crap. **

**So, completely speculative. Not one shred of fact, except for my mind running wild. Please review. **


	2. Author's note, IMPORTANT READ ME!

**I'm going to respond to reviewers then make a big announcement! **

**Thingsareweird: Before you ask many more questions, read **_Warriors of the Dawn_** it's set after this one, and you'll see there. **

**A Random Person: He is. But it's because his mental state is so bad that he doesn't really know what the hell he's doing. And Kopa is safe. But we'll see about that short story. ;)**

**Keep Calm and Join Team Loki: Your hunch may be correct, read the big announcement! **

**AS FOR MY ANNOUNCEMENT: **

**I am starting a new story, called **_Blood's Flame_**, set after **_Simba's Pride, _**about the events after **_Her Legacy _**and **_Warriors of the Dawn_**. I've decided it'd be best to have a whole story. It's kinda about Shani/Vitani, Aisha, Kiara, Kovu, Simba, Nalo and… a surprise character (not revealing until the story comes out,) after the Outlanders and Pridelanders become one. So, I hope you'll all follow the new story! It's out TODAY! **

**Another note: a similar note will be on **_Warriors of the Dawn_**, for readers who didn't read this. **


End file.
